bramble my guinea pig

Question
my 8 month old bramble has stopped eating he has a sore both sides of his mouth the vet has told me to wash it salt water and seinge veg babby food to bramble to stop him losing weight is there any thing else i can do

Answer
Hi Barbara,

Did the vet tell you what was likely to have caused the sores? It could be due to too much fruit in Bramble's diet; try offering him some crunchy veg (in a small piece, so as not to hurt his mouth) such as carrot or yellow pepper. fresh curly-leafed parsley is often very popular with guinea pigs, and has medicinal qualities that will help Bramble to feel better. Make sure he has hay to eat, as always.

Did your vet show you how to syringe feed Bramble? Syringe feeding can be quite difficult as it is easy for the piggy to accidently draw the liquid into its lungs. It would be a good idea to find a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet, or a rodentologist (contact The Cambridge Cavy Trust to find out where your nearest rodentologist is) as these professionals are more familiar with guinea pigs than ordinary vets, and are more likely to accurately diagnose the cause of your piggy's sores.

Additionally, have a look at this website: http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/lotion.html Gorgeous Guineas make aromatherapy products that are safe to use at home. The page I've directed to is about lotions; have a read and see if you think any of them will help Bramble (there's also a link there to help you diagnose different types of fungal infection).

Remember that even mild illnesses can cause a piggy to give up, as they are not very good at coping with pain. So try to find out what has caused Bramble's sores and how to treat them properly as soon as possible. Make him feel extra loved with lots of cuddles. Also groom him more often than usual as his sore mouth probably means he can't do this himself, and guinea pigs are very particular about their appearance.

I hope you sort out the problem soon and that Bramble makes a full recovery.

Jenny.